How to add a custom domain to your Netlify site

Introduction

Deploying a site to Netlify gives you a free *.netlify.app domain out of the box, which is perfect for testing and previews. But for any real project, you’ll want to use your own custom domain.

Connecting a custom domain on Netlify is straightforward, but DNS is one of those topics that can feel intimidating if you haven’t touched it before. The good news is that Netlify handles most of the complexity for you, especially if you use Netlify DNS.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to add a custom domain to a Netlify site, the difference between using Netlify DNS and an external DNS provider, and how to avoid common pitfalls.

What you need before you start

Before adding a custom domain, make sure you have:

A deployed site on Netlify
A domain name you own (from a registrar like Namecheap, Google Domains, or similar)
Access to your domain’s DNS settings

You do not need a paid Netlify plan to use a custom domain.

Adding a custom domain in Netlify

The first step always happens inside the Netlify dashboard.

Open your site in the Netlify dashboard
Go to Site settings
Navigate to Domains
Click Add a domain
Enter your custom domain (for example example.com or www.example.com)

At this point, Netlify knows which domain you want to use, but it doesn’t control DNS yet. That comes next.

Choosing how to manage DNS

You have two main options:

Use Netlify DNS (recommended)
Use an external DNS provider

Both work. The difference is where DNS records are managed.

Option 1: Using Netlify DNS

This is the simplest and most reliable option.

When you choose Netlify DNS, Netlify becomes the authoritative DNS provider for your domain. You manage all DNS records directly from the Netlify dashboard.

How to switch to Netlify DNS

After adding your domain, Netlify will prompt you to use Netlify DNS.

You’ll be given a set of nameservers, usually something like:

dns1.p01.nsone.net dns2.p01.nsone.net dns3.p01.nsone.net dns4.p01.nsone.net

Go to your domain registrar and replace the existing nameservers with the ones Netlify provides.

DNS changes can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours to fully propagate.

What Netlify DNS does for you

Once Netlify DNS is active, Netlify automatically:

Creates the correct A and CNAME records
Provisions an HTTPS certificate
Renews SSL certificates automatically
Handles apex domains and subdomains correctly

For most projects, this is the best option.

Option 2: Using an external DNS provider

If you prefer to keep DNS with your registrar or another provider, you can do that too.

In this case, Netlify will tell you which DNS records to add manually.

Typical DNS configuration

For a root domain (example.com), you’ll usually add an A record:

example.com → 75.2.60.5 example.com → 99.83.190.102

For a www subdomain, you’ll add a CNAME:

www.example.com → your-site-name.netlify.app

The exact values are shown in the Netlify dashboard and may change over time, so always follow Netlify’s instructions.

Apex domain vs www subdomain

A common question is whether to use example.com or www.example.com.

Netlify supports both, and you can even configure one to redirect to the other.

A common setup is:

Primary domain: example.com
Redirect www.example.com → example.com

Or the reverse, if you prefer www.

You can configure this directly in the Domains section of your site settings.

Enabling HTTPS

One of the best things about Netlify is that HTTPS is automatic.

Once your DNS is correctly configured:

Netlify provisions a free TLS certificate via Let’s Encrypt
HTTPS is enabled automatically
Certificates are renewed without any action from you

If HTTPS is stuck in a “provisioning” state, it’s usually a DNS issue. Double-check your records and wait for propagation.

Custom domains and deploy previews

Deploy previews also get their own URLs automatically, but you can’t assign custom domains to individual previews.

However, Netlify does support branch subdomains, like:

feature-x.example.com

This can be useful for staging or long-lived branches.

Common problems and fixes

A few issues come up frequently when adding custom domains.

DNS changes not taking effect

DNS propagation can take time. If things don’t work immediately, wait at least 30–60 minutes before troubleshooting.

HTTPS not provisioning

This almost always means DNS is misconfigured. Make sure:

There are no conflicting A or CNAME records
The domain points only to Netlify
You’re not proxying traffic through another service

Site loads but redirects incorrectly

Check your primary domain settings in Netlify. If both example.com and www.example.com are set as primary, redirects can loop.

When to use multiple domains

Netlify allows you to add multiple domains to the same site.

This is useful for:

Regional domains (example.co.uk, example.de)
Marketing domains that redirect to a main site
Legacy domains during migrations

You can control redirects between them using Netlify’s domain settings or redirect rules.

Conclusion

Adding a custom domain to Netlify is a one-time setup that pays off immediately. With automatic HTTPS, simple DNS management, and built-in redirects, Netlify removes most of the usual pain associated with domains.

If you want the least friction, use Netlify DNS. If you have existing DNS requirements, external providers work just as well with a bit more setup.